You've got a friend in me

Adam Stiles Emily Stuursma

When we were at the bus stop in the first grade, the best friend who would be waiting for us at school was the girl who also loved the color orange or the boy who had the same Indians’ lunch box. Friends came easily, and as long as the girls were chasing boys at recess, the world was right.

Now that we are in high school, the formula for forming friendships is much different. Now we look for friends on our sports teams, friends who have the same lunch period as us, people who choose Taylor Swift over Kanye West, and others in our youth groups. We often seek companions who have their priorities in the same order we do.

As we mature through the four years of high school, our priorities and our values become more involved in our decision-making and our friendships. We may meet lots of different people and spend time with them, but the people we grow to love, trust and call our friends are the people who share our values.

I, Emily, have run cross-country for four years and have spent time with many of the girls, but the ones I still see and talk to are the girls who share my priorities. I am friends with girls who have graduated, girls in my grade and underclassmen.

Age, favorite color and whether or not we have the same lunch box doesn’t matter as much anymore as it used to. I stick with friends who can have fun no matter what we do, whether it’s going to the pool or getting a carwash. I enjoy being around friends who have a selfless attitude instead of a selfish one, caring about the people around them before themselves. Friends who love life and have a joyful mindset are the people I choose to surround myself with.

On the boys’ soccer team, I, Adam, have formed some close friendships with my teammates, many of whom I continue to spend time with today, and even some who will be living close to me next year at college. I love being able to drive out to Barlow any day with a friend to shoot around, and I will definitely value such friends next year at a big school like Ohio State.

However, long-lasting friendships possess more important qualities. I have seen these qualities in one of my best friends and teammates, Brandon Russo. He consistently displays a humble attitude around me and is always willing to give me guidance.

We have found that the companionships that are most meaningful are ones shared through God. Brothers and sisters in Christ define the best relationships in our minds, as we have learned over our high school career. Serving the Lord is the top priority for Christians, and successful friendships often share this priority.

In the book of Proverbs, chapter 17, verse 17, it reads, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”

We have benefited from Christian friends to rely on in our struggles while being friends to rely on for our brothers and sisters in their struggles. We will miss our friends in college, but we know relationships, brothers and sisters in Christ, last an eternity.